As the planet fills with more and more people and more and more pollution, building green is becoming a much more important and much more prevalent option. I've tried incorporating some items into my current home, but unfortunately money is an object preventing more "greenies" in my home.

So, in response to janeAnne's Pink Challenge, here is what I would do with my 5 green elements if money were no object:

1. First, let's start off with the structure of the house. I'd abandon conventional construction and go with a strawbale home built with a steel post and beam frame. Why? Strawbale is a green and renewable resource. It serves as a great insulator, especially with 18"-thick walls. It keeps out a lot of noise pollution.

2. Now that we have some walls, let's put something on top. The roof system would need to include photovoltaic cells and a rainwater collection system. Harnessing the power of mother nature will be very important in the future, so using your roof to capture some of the elements will be essential. So, we'll use the latest and greatest solar panels, and we'll use a steel roof for a cleaner capture of rainwater.

3. The interior of the house must have low VOC. Many homes have worse air inside than the air outside. This means we have to use products that have low VOC: low-voc paint, bamboo or concrete floors, and low-VOC insulation in any attic space and interior walls (yes, insulation in interior walls...it helps warm or cool only those rooms that need it).

4. An energy efficient water system. Include a solar hot water heater and a flash water heater. Again, harnessing the power of the sun is essential, but when we have those periods of low or sunlight you may need an alternative hot water heater. So, a flash heater is perfect for that. I'd also incorporate the hat water system into the radiant floor heater.

5. Finally, I think I'd like a "green" yard around me...that means only organic pest control and fertilizers, a xeriscape, and gravel driveways and walkways.

I guess that's it for now. I'm sure with money as no object I could go beyond these five elements...intelligent house control systems, passive solar lighting, energy efficient appliances, recycled furniture products, etc.